Everyone has been tolerating paper straws even though they get soggy after one sip... but we tell ourselves at least it's good for the planet.
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However, a new study say that might not be the case.
South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment just released a study that took a close look at paper straws alongside a few other types of the popular disposable liquid-sucking utensils.
Indeed, there's more than the standard-issue paper and plastic straws: the study also included biodegradable plastic and sugarcane-based versions. The four types were then tested across 16 environmental categories, from when the straws are made until they're disposed of.
It seems after endless arguments against plastic straws and their harmful impact on the planet, they came out on top... even over paper straws.
Plastic straws actually managed to score the best for the environment in 10 of the 16 categories. This includes all important talking-point categories like human toxicity, particle pollution, and overall climate change.
According to the study, paper straws ended up creating more carcinogens than standard plastic (reportedly as much as 6 times the amount). Meanwhile, acid pollution was twice as high for paper straw vs. their plastic cousins.
Another big loser was the so-called Bio-PE straws (which are made of renewable resources like sugarcane). The study alleges that they produce carcinogens at 16 times the rate of plastic straws. Their impact on changes in ocean and soil pH levels (acidification damage) is reportedly 6 times that of plastic versions.
Paper Straws Might Not Be as Easy to Recycle as Previously Thought...
The big upper hand paper straws were thought ot have, their ability to be recycled, also took a major hit.
The study claims that recycling facilities routinely miss paper straws due to their small size. This reportedly leads to virtually none of them being recycled.
On top of that, water-resistant coatings and industrial glues used to make paper straws also make them less biodegradable.
Of course, paper straws being less effective than plastic ones remain a cause for consumer concern, regardless of environmental factors. Of 1,001 South Koreans polled in a goverment survery found that 87.5% weren't too fond of paper straws.
At the end of the day, it seems the solution to this problem has been staring at us from the mirror. For generations, folks just tilted beverages up and drank them straight from their mouths. Maybe cups with a better opening for our lips on the lid would patch up all of these issues...
